Putting the Pieces Together: the Hair Cell Transduction Complex
Résumé
Identification of the components of the mechanosensory
transduction complex in hair cells has been a major
research interest for many auditory and vestibular scientists
and has attracted attention from outside the field.
The past two decades have witnessed a number of significant
advances with emergence of compelling evidence
implicating at least a dozen distinct molecular components
of the transduction machinery. Yet, how the pieces
of this ensemble fit together and function in harmony to
enable the senses of hearing and balance has not been
clarified. The goal of this review is to summarize a 2021
symposium presented at the annual mid-winter meeting
of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology.
The symposium brought together the latest insights from
within and beyond the field to examine individual components
of the transduction complex and how these elements
interact at molecular, structural, and biophysical
levels to gate mechanosensitive channels and initiate sensory
transduction in the inner ear. The review includes a
brief historical background to set the stage for topics to
follow that focus on structure, properties, and interactions
of proteins such as CDH23, PCDH15, LHFPL5, TMIE,
TMC1/2, and CIB2/3. We aim to present the diversity
of ideas in this field and highlight emerging theories and
concepts. This review will not only provide readers with
a deeper appreciation of the components of the transduction
apparatus and how they function together, but also
bring to light areas of broad agreement, areas of scientific
controversy, and opportunities for future scientific
discovery.